In May 2017, The National Enquirer started speculating as to why Richard Simmons had seemingly disappeared for 3 years. Rumors swirled that he was being held hostage, but Simmons himself shot that down.

"No one is holding me in my house as a hostage; I do what I want to do as I've always done. So people should just believe what I have to say, because, like, I'm Richard Simmons," Simmons told the Today Show by phone.

Today Show

However, The National Enquirer kept speculating, and ultimately landed on one conclusion: Richard Simmons was transitioning into a woman.

The story claimed Simmons had changed his name to Fiona, had a boob job, and was "considering having a vagina built by doctors." Simmons called these stories "cruel and malicious." He believes the Enquirer knew their story was false, but believed Simmons wouldn't sue because he would appear unsympathetic to people who are, in fact, transitioning. Simmons called this a "miscalculation" on their end.